Scott Anderson's career highlights:

• Baystreet Grill (Edison, NJ)
• Teresa Caffe (Princeton, NJ)
• Nova Terra (New Brunswick, NJ)
• Mediterra (Denver, CO and Princeton, NJ)
• Les Copains (Princeton, NJ)
• Ryland Inn (Whitehouse Station, NJ)
• Lawrenceville Inn (Lawrenceville, NJ)
• elements (Princeton, NJ)

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Scott Anderson

Chef Owner

"Opening a restaurant isn't new. But opening a restaurant that aims to be new over and over is new," says the smiling, engaging Chef Owner Scott Anderson, about elements, the restaurant he and Stephen Distler opened October of 2008 on Route 206 in Princeton, NJ.

The name is significant: the restaurant will draw on diverse resources, but will look at each element of its palette for direction. Local produce as well as worldwide cooking styles will influence his work. "It's almost like you're listening to the ingredients," says Scott. For this reason, a meal at elements will always be an event.

True to the ingredients, and to its name, elements will feature simple-to-understand chords of flavors constantly reinterpreted. The chef wants to remain open to inspiration and the mood of the moment. A green salad with citrus would not be exactly the same twice, nor would it appear the same way every time you order it. The best analogy is that of a jazz musician who constantly riffs on melodies to keep each experience fresh. Instead, true to the ingredients, and to its name, elements will feature simple-to-understand chords of flavors constantly reinterpreted.

We call it "Interpretative American Cuisine," because we think of our dishes as canvases and paint what feels right, while staying grounded in the essence of the ingredients. The Chef is giving similar creative latitude to the team in the kitchen.